


Breathe Me

by doctorwillowsimmons



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, may/skye friendship, reference to trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-16
Updated: 2014-07-16
Packaged: 2018-02-09 02:16:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1965153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctorwillowsimmons/pseuds/doctorwillowsimmons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fill for the prompt "Breathe Me, by Sia, post finale hurt/comfort"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breathe Me

Skye was really good with people. She could talk them down from things, talk them into things. Maybe it was from her years in the foster system, needing to charm people in the first contact. Or maybe she was just really good at it inherently.   
But her previous experiences didn’t prepare her for this. It didn’t prepare her for trying to hold Jemma down when she woke up, stuck in some kind of torturous nightmare, thrashing. It didn’t help when Jemma screamed, still trapped in that nightmare, and tried to hurt Skye. She knew Jemma didn’t know what she was doing, that Jemma’s mind was rushed with adrenaline and fear, but she wished her people skills covered dealing with trauma, talking Jemma out of the horrid nightmare. But she couldn’t even talk to Jemma, she wouldn’t wake up.  
It didn’t cover Jemma’s inability to eat, her inability to get out of bed some days.   
When Skye watched her sit with Fitz, holding his cold, almost dead hand, her people skills were useless. She didn’t know if she should even go in. Should she sit with Jemma? Touch her shoulder? She didn’t know. She’d always prided herself on the ease she had in talking people into things or cheering them up. But all of those skills seemed useless in the face of this.   
It was like Jemma wasn’t even someone she knew anymore. Skye had never felt so helpless.   
-  
Skye was training with May, as May had become her new SO. She was hitting harder than usual, so May cautioned her. “It’s about the angle, Skye, not the impact. You’re going to wear yourself out too quickly if you put everything in one punch.”  
Skye threw her hardest punch yet.   
"Okay," May said, crossing her arms, "what’s wrong?"  
"I don’t want to talk about it."  
"I’m not asking as a friend, Skye. I’m asking as your SO. I need to know what’s driving your actions right now. My job is to train you and part of that is training you in how to control and deal with your emotions."  
Skye looked away, refusing to make eye contact. May sighed and sat next to her.  
"I’m also asking as a friend, Skye."  
Skye began to explain. How she always could help people, how she was great at cheering everyone up. But how right now, Jemma was a mess and she could do nothing. She told May about how Jemma wakes up in a nightmare every night, how she looks dead. May nodded, and Skye knew she understood. Whenever Jemma came around, so clearly depressed, to deliver some news on Fitz’s worsening condition or on research she’d uncovered, May looked at her with a sadness that Skye had never seen before. May was even nice to her, sometimes putting a hand on her shoulder in comfort. Something May didn’t just do.   
"Have you held her?" May asked.   
"Well… no, I guess not. I mean, I do, but she doesn’t… she doesn’t respond when I touch her, she is just limp. She used to hold me back. But now…" Skye trailed off. She knew it wasn’t fair to be selfish, to think about how she missed Jemma’s touch. But she needed care too. She was trying to deal with the fact that Ward had feelings for her, and how much it made her sick to think someone so disturbed wanted her to be dark… with him. It made her sick, and she needed Jemma. She needed her girlfriend. But she couldn’t complain, or act like this was a rational, fair desire. Jemma was dealing with the potential loss of her best friend.   
"Skye, there’s more. Please, you need to tell me. I can’t train you to be a good fighter if you won’t even tell all of what’s really going on.”  
Skye spilled everything. Ward, his feelings. The darkness he said was within her. May was stoic, but she took it all in.   
"Skye, you need to talk to Jemma. You need to tell her this. And you need to hold her— even if she doesn’t hold you back. Sometimes the people we love need us but don’t want to say it. She needs you. You think you’re not good at this, but Skye, in all my years as an agent I’ve never seen someone who can talk to people quite like you. I’ve watched you, and it’s not just a trick. It’s a talent. A talent I wish I had more of." May paused, took a deep breath in. "Where’s Jemma now?"  
"With Fitz, I think."  
"Go."  
"But training?"  
"This is training. Deal with your emotions, and help her face hers. That’s the most important thing you can do as an agent. It took me too long to learn that one. So don’t let it happen to you."  
Skye got up, and began walking away. “Thank you.” She said to May.   
She went to Jemma, and she held her, like May told her. This time she didn’t give up, she stayed there. And Jemma held her back, falling into her arms, sobbing. She hadn’t seen Jemma sob yet— she’d only seen her frozen in that state. Jemma told her then about Fitz, about his feelings, and about her lack thereof. Skye listened, then told her what had happened with Ward. She explained how much pain she’d been in dealing with this and how badly she missed Jemma.   
"Oh- oh my god, Skye. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I’ve been… I haven’t been me. I don’t… I don’t know if I am me, right now. But I’m so- I’m so sorry I didn’t see you needed me."  
"That’s okay." Skye said, trying to sound like she meant it. Because she did- she meant it. She wanted Simmons to know that. She missed her girlfriend, but she understood why. "I just need you to be here for me from now on. And I’ll be here for you. This silence doesn’t work, it’s killing me. And I think it’s killing you too."  
Jemma nodded, resting her head on Skye’s shoulder. “We can do this. Together.” Skye said, taking Jemma’s hand.   
Things were silent, except for the heart monitor, beeping along with Fitz’s weak heartbeat.   
It was weak, but it was there. He was alive and he was fighting. And so were they.


End file.
